GRAVIS Rajasthan COVID-19 Relief
Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti (GRAVIS), Rajasthan
2020 Covid-19 Relief Grant: $2000
2021 Covid-19 Relief Grant: $2500
In 2020, during the first COVID wave, GRAVIS was able to use PPI’s grant to help 150 families of unemployed stone mine workers and families with disabled and women-headed households. GRAVIS distributed 70 relief kits in Gagadi village of Osian block and 80 kits in Soorsagar mines of Mondore block, on the outskirts of Jodhpur district. The relief kits contained dry rations to support a family of 6 to 7 people for 20 days. GRAVIS is coordinating their relief work with the sub-divisional magistrate and the Gram Panchayat to avoid overlap with the government’s relief distribution effort.
In 2021, the impact of the second wave of the pandemic was particularly dire in Rajasthan. The 5 Districts covered by GRAVIS under COVID relief (Jodhpur, Bikaner, Pali, Jaisalmer and Badmer) have reported over 200,000 cases. The funds provided by PPI were utilized to ensure food security and hygiene through providing food and hygiene supplies kits to poor and needy families in the Thar Desert. The focus was on those with no access to the Public Distribution System (PDS) or with no money to purchase food and hygiene items since lockdown; 180 families received food and hygiene supplies kits. Food items included wheat flour, pulses, edible oil and spices, and for hygiene – masks and soap were given. The food supplies distributed were sufficient to meet the food needs of a family of about 8 people for about a month to 6 weeks.